The City's Son: in hidden London you'll find marvels, magic . . . and menace (Skyscraper Throne (1))

"Gritty, dynamic, and beautiful. I can't wait for more." �TESSA GRATTON author of Blood Magic Running from her traitorous best friend and her estranged father, graffiti artist Beth Bradley is looking for sanctuary. What she finds is Filius, the ragged and cocky crown prince of London�s mystical underworld. Filius opens Beth�s eyes to the city she�s never truly seen�where vast spiders crawl telephone wires seeking voices to steal, railwraiths escape their tethers, and statues conceal an ancient priesthood robed in bronze. But it all teeters on the brink of destruction. Amid rumors that Filius�s goddess mother will soon return from her 15-year exile, Reach, a malign god of urban decay, wants the young prince dead. Helping Filius raise an alleyway army to reclaim his skyscraper throne, Beth soon forgets her old life. But when her best friend is captured, Beth must choose between this wondrous existence and the life she left behind. 'An impeccably dark parable, endlessly inventive and utterly compelling' M R Carey, author of The Girl with all the Gifts Beth's world is falling apart. Then she discovers a hidden London, full of marvels, magic . . . and menace. Perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere. Hidden under the surface of everyday London is a city where wild train spirits stampede over the tracks and glass-skinned dancers with glowing veins light the streets. When a devastating betrayal drives her from her home, Beth stumbles into the secret city, where she finds Filius Viae, London's ragged crown prince, just when he needs someone the most. For an ancient enemy has returned to the darkness under St Paul's Cathedral, bent on reigniting a centuries-old war. Desperate to find a way to save the city they both love, they find themselves in a desperate race through this bizarre urban wonderland, but when Beth's best friend is captured, she must choose between this wondrous existence and the life she left behind. The City's Son is the first book of The Skyscraper Throne trilogy: a story about family, friends and monsters, and how you can't always tell which is which. Expelled from school, betrayed by her best friend, and virtually ignored by her widowed father, Beth Bradley is introduced to the magic and wonder of a hidden London by Filius Viae, then helps him protect it from Reach, a malign god of demolition who wants to claim the skyscraper throne for himself. Beth's world is falling apart, until she discovers a hidden London, full of marvels, magic . . . and menace. Perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere.